Murray Seeks Advice On Ways To Share Boom Economic Development Summit Focuses On Strategies For Eliminating Disparity
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and a group of federal agency officials met with business and community leaders in Spokane Wednesday in a day-long economic development summit.
“In the Puget Sound area, we have an economy that’s booming,” Murray told the gathering, “but that is not shared around our state.
“We want to share that boom. We are here to listen to what community and business leaders in Spokane have to say. We want you to tell these federal officials what can be done to help make that happen.”
People attending the summit broke into three groups to discuss topical areas. The groups focused on natural resources and rural communities; transportation and infrastructure; and urban revitalization: small business, industry and technology.
Washington State University economist Gary Smith urged the gathering to make an effort at understanding how and why the economy of Eastern Washington is changing before planning a course of action.
“My perception is that a lot of time in efforts like this people have the urge not to get stuck with the paralysis of analysis, and to say ‘let’s just do it,”’ Smith cautioned. “But the big challenge here is to try and develop an informed dialogue about the problems that confront the region, and develop a collective understanding of what those issues are before you start talking about the appropriate cures.”
Smith also cautioned the group not to look at Western Washington as a context for framing an understanding of Eastern Washington’s economic issues.
He said Eastern Washington has relatively few economic similarities to Western Washington, and is much more similar to Idaho.
Finally, he said, leadership is critical in accomplishing economic solutions, adding, “There is a pressing shortage of leadership in rural areas of the region because of the pressing problems they confront.”
Murray’s aides said recommendations resulting from the summit will be issued in the near future.
, DataTimes